Sleigh-knee.



PATENTED JUNE 13,1906.

J. G. ALTSOHWAGER.

SLBIGH KNEE.

APPLICATION FILED APR.14,1904.

Patented June 13, 1905.

UNTTED STATES PATENT @EETCE.

JOHN G. ALTSCHlVAGER, OF ISHPEMING, MICHIGAN.

SLElGH-KNEE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 791,993, dated June 13, 1905.

Application filed April 14, 1904. Serial No. 203,075.

To (all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, JOHN (3. ALTSCHWAGER, residing in lshpeming, in the county of Marquette and State of Michigan, have invented new and useful improvements in Sleigh- Knees, of which the following is a description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, which are a part of this specification.

This invention relates to certain new and useful improvements in sleigh-knees, and has for its object to provide asleigh-knee of such a construction that it may be readily assembled and the parts of which will retain their proper relative positions and which will permit of readily removing and replacing the knee member without removing from the runner the brackets or guides therefor.

A further object of this invention is to provide a bearing-plate for the knee member which will serve to relieve the runner of wear from the knee member, will also serve to hold the knee member in its proper position, and will constitute a means for determining the position of the knee-guides.

1V ith the above and other objects in view the invention'consists in the devices and parts and their equivalents, as hereinafter set forth.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, in which like characters of reference indicate the same parts in the several views, Figure 1 is a side elevation of a sleigh-runner with a sleigh-knee applied thereto which constitutes an embodiment of this invention. Fig. 2 is a rear elevation, partly in section, taken on the line 2 2 of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a plan view of the knee member removed from the beam with the guide-rods therefor shown in section.

Fig. 1 is a bottom plan view of the knee member with the guide-rods shown in section. Fig. 5 is a side elevation of the bearing-plate, and Fig. 6 is a plan view thereof.

In the drawings, 10 represents a runner which is of the usual construction. A bearing-plate 11 is secured to the upper edge of the runner 10 and has at its middle portion depending flanges 12, embracing the sides of the runner to hold it in position thereon, and on its upper face it is provided with an elongated projecting guide-lug 13 with rounded edges.

A pair of brackets comprising vertical guiderods 14:, with horizontal bars 15 and 16 connecting their upper and lower ends, respectively, to the divergent arms of Y-shaped braces 17, have their lower bars 16 rigidly clamped to the runner by bolts 18, which pass through the runner, the bearing-plate 11, and said bars 16, and also by the ends of the braces 17, being secured to the runner by means of bolts 19. The ends of the guide-rods 1a of these brackets are provided with verticallyextending lugs 20, the lower of which fit Within suitable spaced perforations 21 in the bearing-plate 11, while the upper lugs fit within correspondingly-spaced perforations 22 in the horizontallend bar portion 23 of a Y-shaped brace 24, which is suitably pivoted at 3 1 to the front end of the runner, said horizontal end portion 23 being rigidly clamped to the upper horizontal bars 15 of the brackets by bolts 25 passing therethrough.

\Vithin the rectangular guide-frame formed by the guide-rods 1a, the bearing-plate 11, and the bar 23 is freely mounted the knee member 26, with the cross-beam 2'7 bolted to its upper end, the beam 27 and the upper and lower opposite lateral projections 28 and 29, respectively, of the knee member being provided with registering grooves 30 to loosely embrace the guide-rods 14, so that the knee member and the beam are capable of movement within the guide-frame without possibility of accidental removal therefrom. The lower end of the knee member is provided with a rounded bearing-surface 31, extending from one extension 29 to the other, which has a longitudinal groove 32 to receive the guidelug 13 of the bearing-plate when said rounded bearing-surface 31 of the knee member rests on the bearing-plate 11 on either side of said lug 13.

The operation of the sleigh-knee is the same as usual, the weight of the sleigh being supported by the knee member, which has a rocking bearing upon the bearing-plate 11 and, with its beam27, is freely movable within the frame formed by the guide-rods 14:, the bearing-plate 11, and the bar 23, though confined thereby against accidental removal. VV-hen it is desired to remove the knee member, with the beam, it is only necessary to remove the bolts 25 of the bracket 24 and the nut of bolt 33, which secures the forward end of the brace 24 to the runner and which may be dispensed with, if desired, and then swinging the brace 24: upon the looped end 34 thereof, which is pivotally connected with the front end of the runner. This removes the bar 23 from the upper end of the guide-frame and permits the beam and the knee member to be lifted from said guide-frame without disturbing the other parts. A great advantage of this feature is that the runner, with the brackets and braces, may be shipped assembled, and the connection with the beam and knee member may be quickly and easily made by any one by merely replacing the brace 24 and securing the bolts 25.

A further advantage of the construction employed in this invention is that the guiderods 14: form parts of integral brackets, including the braces 17, which may be quickly and accurately secured to the runner, so as to form, with the bearing-plate and the bar 23, the closed guide-frame for the knee member and the beam, the lugs 20 thereon serving to guide the operation of assembling the parts and also to assist in the rigidly securing of the brackets against displacement.

V hat I claim as my invention is 1. In a device of the character described, a runner, a bearing-plate secured thereto, a pair of brackets each comprising a guide-rod with integral top and bottom plates and integral braces connecting the top and bottom plates With the runner, a bar connecting the top plates of the brackets, engaging lugs on the top and bottom of the brackets releasably engaging perforations in the bar and bearingplate respectively, and a knee member confined between the guide-rods of the brackets and bearing on the bearing-plate.

2. In a device of the character described, a runner, a bearingplate secured thereto, a pair of brackets each comprising a guide-rod with a top and bottom plate projecting therefrom and a brace connecting the top and bottom plate with the runner, a bar bolted to the top plates of the brackets, engaging lugs on the top and bottom of the brackets releasably engaging perforations in the bar and the bearing-plate to form a rigid frame between the bar and the bearing-plate and the pair of guide-rods, and a knee member confined in said frame and bearing on the bearing-plate.

3. In a device of the character described, a runner, a bearing-plate secured thereto, a lug on the bearing-plate, a pair of brackets each comprising a guide-rod with top and bottom plates extending therefrom and a brace con necting the top and bottom plates together and with the runner, a bar bolted to the top plates of the brackets, engaging lugs on the top and bottom of the brackets releasably engaging perforations 1n the bar and the bearing-plate respectively to rigidly hold the brackets in position to form a frame between their guiderods and the bar and bearing-plate, and a knee member having a rounded bearing-surface bearing on the bearing-plate with a groove containing the lug of the bearing-plate and with front and rear grooved projections embracing the guide-rods.

4:. In a device of the character described, a runner, a bearing-plate secured thereto, a pair of b 'ackets each formed of a guide-rod with top and bottom plates projecting therefrom and a brace connecting the top and bottom plates and the runner, a bar bolted to the top plates of the brackets, projecting engaging lugs on the top and bottom of the brackets releasably engaging perforations in the bar and bearing-plate respectively to rigidly hold the brackets in place to form a frame between their guide-rods and the bar and bearingplate, and a knee member confined in the frame having grooved extensions on its rounded bearing end which embrace the guide-rods and grooved extensions at its upper end also embracing the guide-rods.

5. In a device of the character described, a runner, a bearing-plate secured thereto, a lug on the bearing-plate, a pair of brackets each comprising a vertical guide-rod with top and bottom plates extending therefrom and braces. connecting the top and bottom plates together and to the runner, a bar connecting the top plates of the brackets together and to the front end of the runner, engaging lugs on the top and. bottom of the brackets releasably engaging perforations in the bar and the hearing -plate respectively to rigidly hold the brackets in place and form a frame between their guide-rods and the bar and bearingplate respectively, a knee member having a rounded grooved bearing end bearing on the bearing-plate with the lug thereof contained within the groove, front and rear grooved extensions on the lower end of the knee member and on the upper end of the knee member embracing the guide-rods, and a beam secured to the upper end of the knee member.

6. In a device of the characterdescribed, a runner, a bearing-plate secured thereto, a pair of brackets secured to the bearing-plate and forming guide-rods, lugs on the brackets fitting in perforations of the bearing-plate, a guide-lug on the bearing-plate, a knee member fitting between the guide-rods and having a rounded grooved bearing-surface resting on the bearing-plate on opposite sides of the guide-lug, a beam carried by the knee member, a brace pivoted to the front end of the runner adapted to be secured to the brackets, and lugs on the brackets fitting in perforations of the brace.

7. In a device of the character described, a runner, a bearing-plate secured thereto and having depending lugs to embrace the runner, brackets secured to the bearing-plate and the runner and forming parallel guide-rods. lugs on the brackets fitting in perforations of the bearing plate, a guide-lug on the bearingplate, a knee member loosely fitting between the guide-rods and having opposite lateral extensions at its ends embracing the guide-rods, the bearing-surface of the knee member being rounded and grooved to receive the guide-lug of the bearing-plate and rest upon the bearing-plate on both sides of the said guide-lug, a brace pivoted to the front end of the runner and terminating in a bar adapted to be clamped to the pair of brackets, lugs on the brackets fitting in perforations in the bar end of the brace, and a beam secured to the upper end of 5 the knee member and provided With grooves to receive the guide-rods.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of tWo witnesses.

JOHN C. ALTSOHWAGER.

Witnesses:

MARETZ A. KAI-IN, T. F. GILL. 

